


Slipped Away

by Anonymous



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Future Fic, Heavy Angst, I Made Myself Cry, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Stream of Consciousness, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 21:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10795125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Tony smiles brightly as he learns Steve's secret. "Well then, mon capitan, I guess I'll just have to teach you, won't I?"Tony's sins swirl through his mind like a kaleidoscope or water flushing down a toilet. He sees them all clear as day as each memory flashes by one by one. If he tears himself away from his memories for a moment, he thinks he sees Steve next to him -- by his side. It's a nice change, for once, to not be at odds with each other.** [Person A] would always randomly pull [Person B] up to dance or just gently hold [B] while swaying but now [B] is standing there alone (up to you why they are alone) **





	Slipped Away

**Author's Note:**

> little bit of comics, cartoons, and movie canon thrown all together. hope y'all don't mind. I don't know where this wallop of a dark and a depressing fic came from, but well. here it is. i'd say i hope you enjoy but i'm pretty sure you'll cry. 
> 
> P.S. *hands readers tissue box and ice cream* T.T *rubs readers' back* i made myself sad.

_Tony smiles brightly as he learns Steve's secret. "Well then, mon capitan, I guess I'll just have to teach you, won't I?"_

_True to his word, Stark meets him down in the gym and instead of sparring the man turns on the stereo._

_Steve grimaces a bit, but he's actually very moved. It's a kind gesture on the billionaire's part, and one that Steve wholly appreciates._

_"First," Tony grins mischievously, "you'll learn to_ salsa _."_

_Steve pales and prepares himself for a long, long arduous journey._

_..._

 

_Their lessons continued once a week for about three months before Tony surprises Steve again. Tony's taken him out dancing (that pretty much everyone else living in the mansion came too, Steve's decided not to count)._

_Tony has to keep pulling Steve up to get him to dance the first few times they go out dancing._

_Finally, Steve's confident enough to be the one to pull Tony out of a booth to sway to that sweet love song playing. Tony just laughs and laughs when Steve turns to lead and makes Tony follow._

_They make it a tradition that they switch turns leading every time they go. ~~Steve's not in love.~~_

 

* * *

 

 

It's funny, he thinks. How they got here. All the mistakes they've made over, and over, and over again. That could have been solved if they'd just had a little forewarning -- if they could have just known in advance... Things would probably be very, very different. Ultron, Thanos, the Skrulls, Registration, his company, Pepper, Happy, all those _deaths_ , and Steve... all of his greatest regrets. Instead, after all this time, and after everything they've been through... now there's this. 

How long has it been? How long since they last came face to face without screaming at each other or throwing out accusations? How long since they've just  _spoken_? Too long, Tony knows, because he's missed his best friend. He quirks a sad little smile. He'd tell Steve, if he could.

'It's a lie, right?' He wants to ask him, too, but Tony's long past being able to say words let alone a full sentence. However... if Steve really has been Hydra all this time... if everything really was all a lie and this is the universe's version of the cruelest joke ever, then Tony can really say that he wishes he'd never been born.   

Still, though, he never thought he'd go like this.  ~~He's not scared, he isn't.~~  He'd always thought he'd go out with a big BANG, maybe even -- he'd hoped -- as a hero. Well, he's not really been a hero in a long time, though, has he? The public won't miss him, he realizes.  ~~That's okay.~~ The people he'd sworn to protect will celebrate his passing and, undoubtedly, no one will say it was 'untimely'. They'd say: "He had it coming," or "it's his fault."  ~~Would anyone attend his funeral?~~

~~~~In any case, he never expected to die so agonizingly _slow_. He deserves it, though, doesn't he? For his death to be a gruesome one. Wanda would think so, since she still hates him. Most of the Avengers too. Oh... how the 'mighty' have  _fallen_. 

Tony's sins swirl through his mind like a kaleidoscope or water flushing down a toilet. He sees them all clear as day as each memory flashes by one by one. If he tears himself away from his memories for a moment, he thinks he sees Steve next to him -- by his side. It's a nice change, for once, to not be at odds with each other. 

He thinks Steve's saying something, but he can't quite make out the words. He can't feel the touch of Steve's hand against his bare wrist. He can't feel Rhodey's tears landing on his face, either, but he feels the wild desperate thumping of his heart. He feels his breath whooshing in and out as they try to provide oxygen for failing organs. If he concentrates a little, Tony can feel the last ghostly vestiges of crippling, debilitating pain. He almost wishes he did feel because then it would mean that his body was still fighting. He knows he doesn't have much time left. Not after his femoral artery was sliced in two, and (he's pretty sure) he's got an aortic dissection too. Not to mention the multiple contusions, bruises, a few broken ribs, and a really nasty concussion. 

It's funny, isn't it? How this betrayal somehow manages to feel worse than it did when Cap led him on with a false truce and then deliberately short-circuited him that one time. He didn't think another betrayal would top that, but somehow Cap always manages to surprise him. The damn fool was good at surprises, Tony's lips twitch and his eyes fall shut. 

It's too late, now, he knows. He's always too late. His life flashes before his eyes: the good and the bad. He'll miss them, he realizes. He'd do it over in a heartbeat -- he would, honestly -- because the Avengers are worth it, and the world needs the Avengers. The Avengers are his family. He thinks of everyone he's ever loved or cared about because Pepper was right all those many, many years ago: Tony Stark does have a heart. He just wishes he hadn't taken so long to embrace it. He wishes he didn't have so many regrets. Wishes he hated himself a little less; wishes he had _time_. Above all else, however, Tony wishes he could save those who died needless deaths; the innocent casualties. If there's a god, he wishes to xer that he could be a hero one last time.  

... Is that Steve? Can Tony... hear? 

"TONY! NO! WAKE UP! I have to-- it's wasn't a  _lie_ , Tony, I  _swear!_ I'm not Hydra! That was-- that was a clone -- Tony, please, open your eyes!" Steve's voice is desperate and trembling. He's  _afraid_ , it strikes Tony, and Steve sounds like he cares...

Ah... what a relief... Cap's not Hydra after all... Thank god. 

Tony's limbs go limp and one last breath escapes his mouth and nose. His awareness slips away and he fades. 

 

* * *

 

 

_"Well then, mon capitan, I guess I'll just have to teach you, won't I?"_

The sweet love song comes on. Steve just stares down at the wooden dance floor. He's standing alone in the middle of it and can feel the stares, but he doesn't care. He's all alone and his best friend is dead. 

At least it isn't Steve who's missed the date, this time. He's not sure that makes him feel any better. 

For at least the hundredth time, Steve's heart fractures into pieces. Just like their silly little tradition because Steve  _was_ ~~had been~~  in love. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this fic i just spit out but i wanted to make it a little longer so i went prompt searching. This is the prompts I found and kind of integrated into the story. 
> 
> toxixpumpkin:   
> * You’re secretly a spy and to keep me safe when things go downhill you have to break up with me and you do it as harshly as possible so I don’t try and follow you (optional: I do follow and your worst fear comes true)
> 
> *You would always randomly pull me up to dance or just gently hold me while swaying but now I’m standing here alone (up to you why they are alone)
> 
>  
> 
> http://promptinspiration.tumblr.com/post/113836462998/the-angst-prompts-that-no-one-wanted


End file.
